Mounting for observation instruments



June 20, 1950' J. w. FRENCH MOUNTING RoR OBSERVATION INSTRUMENTS Filed 00's. 26, 1946 l Inventor CTAMES WDR FRENCH Patented June 20, 1950 UNliT ED STATES 725123217155321 I y. .l i

MonN'rrNefFoR onsnnvarron r INSTfRUMENTS* y g Jannest Weir. French; (G'rlasgowg.y Scntlandf,..assignnr toBarr. &Str.011d Limted;, Glasgow. Scotland A3)'pliczttl'rvv 061701181926, 1946, Selil N01''7-05i85`6'-V x InfGreatiBritainFebruary'; F9214? seeimnrubiie Law een; August 8,4. 194e Patent expires February 7, 19,64.

. 1 1 This invention relates; to mountings for-observaticn instruments such as rangenders, and is particularly" concerned with rangeilnders used upon' aircraft orirr tanks Where a central mount ing' or' pedestal' for theinstrument would` be vanelongated base casing, such as rangeflnders, by,

means of which the instrument can be angled about a ball and socket mounting adjacent one end thereofy and having a support adjacent the other` end, said support frictionally engaging thev base casing, whereby the instrument may becasily' moved about said ball and; socket mounting andZremains-.i'n place when so moved.

SomeA examples of constructionwill now be described'with ref'eren'ce to theaccompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure l is an elevation and Figure 2 is a plan, both partly in section.A showing a rangefnder mounted in a turret,

Figure 3 is a plan showing a modified mounting for a rangender in a turret,

Figure 4 is an end elevation showingrk a detail of the construction shown in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section, showing another detail.

In the gures, A denotes the rangender and B the turret.

In Figures 1 and 2, the rangender A comprises a base structure or casing provided at its ends with resilient shock-absorbing means in the form of anti-vibration elements 2 composed of rubber or of the other type, both ends having sheathings 4. The right hand sheathing is located in a spherical socket 3 fixed to the structure B thus forming a ball and socket mounting. At the opposite end, the sheathing 4 is contained within a mounting comprising a support in the form of a guide or trough 6 which permits of angling movement of the rangender about the other end, the guide being elongated in the required direction, and being saucer-shaped when angling is to be provided for in all directions, end portions 'I being provided to restrict the movement under normal conditions of working.

For changing the elevation of the line of sight, the rangender A can be rotated within the elements 2, apertures 8 being provided for the pas- 6 Claims; (Cl. Msn-251:);

21 y: sage ofthe rays oflght into the end's of the rangeiinder.,

' An operator seated' at the eyepiece 9` of' the` rangend'er. not obstructed' by any portion or the mounting. The pressure of the. anti-vibration materiell issuehthat. the sheathing tat.' the left hand', end Vwill be maintained in contact; with thegude 61 while permitting therangeflnder tube inclined about the ball and' socket mounting. at the right hand.end and at the same time; be rotated for elevation .i By slight. endwise compression. towards the socket, the pressure. mayr be reduced sniicientlg to enable easy angling. of the instrument.. `v

Figure 3,` represents a rangender A havingits ends III and' II' projecting through the' structureV B11 The right hand element 4 is carried in a spherical. socket 3 and at the left. hand end they sheath 4.1`s,.provided,with teeth I2, which engage witheorresponding teeth I'Zi'on. the inner surface ofthe, giu'd'e 5r, When. the rangeiinderis pressed towardsgthe right `the teeth are disengaged and be. 12e-engaged whenthe. desired position is attained'.

The teeth I3 von the guide 6 are shown in more detail in Figure 4. They comprise intersecting lines of teeth in the vertical and horizontal direction on a surface, curved if necessary, about the centre of the sheath 4. Similar teeth may be provided on the sheath 4 at the left hand end.

By extension of the edges 1, the trough 6, Figure 1, may be so arranged that under shock the rangender will not become disengaged from its supports. In such a case the arrangement indicated in Figure 5 may be provided to facilitate the removal of the instrument. The socket 3 is mounted upon a slide I4 carried uponthe structure B and retained in position by a pin I5. When the pin I5 is withdrawn the socket may be displaced, say downwards, with reference to the slide I4 sufciently far to permit of the left hand end being disengaged from the guide, slots of suitable length being provided in the structure B to permit of the complete withdrawal of the instrument.

I claim:

,1. In combination, an observation instrument having an elongated base structure, ball and socket mounting for said structure adjacent one end thereof, and adjacent the other end thereof a second mounting comprising a support which makes a clearance with the base structure in dii.'- ferent directions transversely of the base structure, but said support frictionally engaging the end thereof, and adjacent the other end thereof a second mounting comprising a support whichl makes a clearance with the base structure ln dif ferent directions transversely of the base structure, but said support frictionally engaging the base structure in the direction longitudinally thereof, whereby the instrument may be easily moved about said ball and socket mounting andi remains in place when so moved, and resilient shock-absorbing means interposed between each of said mountings and the base structure.

3. In combination, an observation instrument having an elongated base structure, a ball and socket mounting forl said structure adjacent one end thereof, and adjacent the other end thereof a second mounting comprising a support which makes a clearance with the base structure in different directions transversely of the base structure, but said support frictionally engaging the base structure in vthe direction longitudinally thereof, whereby the instrument may be .easily moved about said ball and socket mounting and remains in place when so moved, stop means for limiting the. movement of .said base structure transversely of the second mounting, and resilient shock-absorbing means interposed between each of said mountings and the base structure.

`4. AIn combination, an observation instrument having an elongated base structure, a ball and socket mounting for said structure adjacent one end thereof, and adjacent the other end there@ second mounting comprising a support which makes a clearance with the base structure in different directions transversely of the base structure, but said support frictionally engaging the .base Vstructure in the direction longitudinally thereof, whereby the instrument may be easily 4 moved about said ball and socket mounting and remains in place when so moved, resilient shockabsorbing means interposed between each of said mountings and the base structure, and interengaging projections on s'aid frictionally engaging parts of the base structure and said second Amounting, such projections being disengageable by endwise compression of said shock-absorbing means, in order to allow transverse movement of the base structure about said ball and socket mounting.

5. In combination in a vehicle, an observation instrument having an elongated base casing, a balland socket mounting for said casing adja- 'cent one end thereof, and adjacent the other end thereof a second mounting comprising a sup'- port arcuate about said ball and socket mounting and which makes a clearance with the base casing indifferent directions transversely of the base casing, but said support frictionally engaging the base casing in the direction longitudinally thereof, whereby .the casing may be easily moved about said vball and'socket mounting and remains l in place when so moved, and resilient shock-abi sorbing means betweeneach of said mountings and the base casing.

l 6."I'he4 combination claimed in claim 1, in which one of ksaid mountings is displaceable relative to the .othertransversely of the base structurein order to facilitate removalof the latter from the mountings.

l. Y JAMES WEIR FRENCH.

1,623,473 Gurney Apr. 5, .1921 

